SOUTH FORK

Description

The South Fork of the Shoshone River, 35 miles outside the small town of Cody, Wyoming is home to some of the best ice climbing in the United States. The valley hosts the highest concentration of ice in the lower 48 states. The season begins as early as October and can run into the long sunny days of April. Typically over 150 pitches of ice form in the valley providing some of the hardest routes in the U.S. and some of the easiest. Cody attracts a small group of climbers each year. Steep approaches, long routes, and untouched ice will leave the average climber whipped by the end of the day. There is only a handful of locals that make up the ice climbing community, and they tell tales of WI3 feeling like WI5.

The Shoshone canyon is located on Hwy 14/16/20 a few miles west of the city limits. The turn off for cedar mountain bouldering is the first left after entering the canyon. It is the obvious switchback dirt road leading up the mountain. The limestone crags are on the north side of the road on Rattlesnake Mountain accessed by the only two right turn options in the canyon. The granite areas are at the west end of the canyon near the tunnels.